Islands, Oceans & Life: Biodiversity, Human Impact, Conservation

🌏 Introduction

If you travel from the plains of Prayagraj toward the Himalayan foothills of Almora, the landscape begins to rise, temperatures drop, forests thicken, and suddenly — you are surrounded by towering mountains. notes that landforms change dramatically from one region to another and that mountains are one of the three major landforms of the Earth

Mountains shape climate, store freshwater as ice, give birth to rivers, shelter forests and wildlife, and influence human settlement patterns. Some mountains are snow-capped throughout the year, while others support grasslands and forests. Although humans adapt to these regions, the terrain presents unique challenges — low temperatures, steep slopes, landslides — as shown in the chapter images

This topic explains how mountains form, their climate, flora and fauna, and human life, using clear diagrams, tables, and real-world examples.

Practice MCQs

This MCQ module is based on: Islands, Oceans & Life: Biodiversity, Human Impact, Conservation

This assessment will be based on: Islands, Oceans & Life: Biodiversity, Human Impact, Conservation

🔸 Concept Notes

🔹 1. What is a Mountain?

Mountain — a landform rising sharply from surrounding areas with a broad base, steep slopes, and a narrow peak.

  • High elevation (altitude)
  • Steep, difficult terrain
  • Temperature decreases with height

Hills are smaller landforms with lower height and rounded peaks.

Altitude — height of an object above sea level.

🔹 2. Types of Mountains (Based on Age)

Type

Example

Characteristics

Young fold mountains

Himalayas, Andes, Alps

Tall, sharp, folded, still rising due to tectonics

Old fold mountains

Aravalli Range

Shorter, rounded peaks, shaped by erosion

Himalayas are young; Aravallis are older.

🔹 3. Famous Mountains of the World

Mountain

Location

Notes

Mount Everest

Nepal–China

Highest peak (8,849 m); called Sagarmatha / Chomolungma

Kanchenjunga

India–Nepal

Highest peak of India

Mount Kilimanjaro

Africa

Not part of any range, stands alone

Anamudi

Kerala

Highest peak in south India

🔹 4. Mountain Ecosystem – Climate, Flora & Fauna

Weather & Climate

  • Lower altitudes → forests
  • Higher altitudes → alpine grasslands
  • Highest zones → permanent snow

Montane forest — coniferous forests found in mountains
 Precipitation — water falling as rain, hail, or snow

Common mountain trees:

  • Pine, fir, spruce, deodar

Mountain animals :

  • Snow leopard, yak, Himalayan tahr, peregrine falcon, black bear

🔹 5. Human Life in Mountains

Opportunities:

  • Terrace farming
  • Tourism (skiing, trekking, pilgrimage)

Challenges :

Natural

Human-made

Avalanche, landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts

Over-tourism, waste pollution

Example of resilience 

  • Bachendri Pal — first Indian woman to climb Everest (1984)
  • Arunima Sinha — amputee climber who scaled Everest (2013)

🧠Think & Connect / Did You Know

✅ Did You Know?

The Himalayas are still growing because of tectonic movement of the Indian Plate.

✅ Think & Connect

If mountains didn’t exist, would rivers like Ganga or Yamuna flow across northern India?

📊 Comparative Table — Mountains vs Hills

Feature

Mountains

Hills

Height

Very high

Low–moderate

Slopes

Steep

Gentle

Peak

Narrow/sharp

Rounded

🧩Questions – Mountains Landform

✅ MCQ

  1. Which of these is a young fold mountain?
    • (a) Aravalli
    • (b) Himalaya ✅
    • (c) Plateau

✅ Match the following

A

B

Kanchenjunga

India–Nepal border

Anamudi

Kerala

Kilimanjaro

Africa (stand-alone peak)

✅ Relation type

Terrace farming : Mountains :: Canal irrigation : _______
 → Plains

✅ Cause–Effect

Cause

Effect

High altitude

Low temperature + snowfall

✅ Reasoning

Why does population remain low in mountain regions compared to plain

🌱 Olympiad Focus

Concept links:

  • Science: precipitation → snow formation
  • Geography: slope → terrace farming
  • Economics: tourism generates income

     

HOTS:

  1. How does tourism benefit mountaineers yet harm mountain ecology?
  2. Why are the Himalayas sacred in many religions?

     

🔍 Summary Points

  • Mountains are high landforms with steep slopes and narrow peaks.
  • Young mountains like the Himalayas are tall and rising; old ones like Aravallis are rounded.
  • Montane forests grow on slopes; grasslands appear at higher altitudes.
  • Human activities include terrace farming, herding, and tourism.
  • Mountain terrain is fragile and prone to avalanches, landslides, and cloudbursts.
  • Mountains are culturally significant — pilgrimage sites and sacred landscapes.
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